Irazu , Costa Rica :

Newvolcanotectonicearthquakescontinueto shake thelocalfault systemthat are part of the Irazu volcano, generatingnumerous microearthquakes.Notethat ageologicalfaultnearor part of thethe volcanicsystem that presentsseismic activity,according to recent studies, can also havean independentvolcanic activity.

Recallingtheeruptiveprocessin 1723;duringthat year,there wasastrong earthquakein the area anda few minutes later, the largest knowneruptionproduced by the Irazu.

The Irazuvolcanohastodayat least 21earthquakesassociated with theruptureof the rockby the flow ofmagmato the surface,which have been confirmedbytheOviscorivolcanologist, Dr.MariaMartinez.The biggestof them , at2:45 hlwith a magnitude of 3.2 degrees on the Richter scaleand 5km deep.Monitoring thisactivity is maintained.Further evidence thattheseearthquakes arevolcano –tectonicis simply thatthey are accompaniedby intervalsofVLPevents thatare very smallmicroseismicrelated to the allocationof the rockfacilitated bythe rise ofmagmatowards the surface.

It is estimatedthat an eruptioncould occurwithin a periodofone to ten years,although the possibilityis givento accelerationifchanges occurin the crustof the earth.

Mauna Loa is not erupting. During the past week, earthquakes occurred primarily in the south caldera and upper Southwest Rift Zone at depths less than 5 km (3 mi). Additional earthquakes occurred in the Kaoiki area of the east flank between Kilauea and Mauna Loa mostly in in 5 -11 km (3 – 7 mile) depth range.

Global Positioning System (GPS) measurements continue to show deformation related to inflation of a magma reservoir beneath the summit and upper Southwest Rift Zone, with inflation occurring mainly in the southwestern part of the magma storage complex.

Measurements from a continuously-monitored fumarole site within the summit caldera showed relatively steady fumarole temperatures and no significant changes in either sulfur dioxide or carbon dioxide concentrations in volcanic gas emissions.